This is an application for a sixth, five-year period of support for a pre- and postdoctoral training program in Nutrition-Behavioral Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. While the program has continued its prior success with training and launching postdoctoral fellows into independent researchers, the predoctoral training program established in 2002 has met with equally great success. In line with national health priorities such as those of NHLBI, and given that obesity is associated with numerous adverse effects such as hypertension, dyslipidemla, etc., a change in the training program focus to obesity prevention and treatment is proposed. Obesity is a significant public health crisis, and training the next generation of scientists to conduct the translational research necessary to address obesity prevention and treatment across the lifespan is a priority. The program will be led by three international authorities in obesity: Dr. Denise Wilfley (Director) and Drs. Sam Klein and John Newcomer (Associate Directors). The program will continue to be housed within the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. This trans-disciplinary grant draws mentors from diverse fields (Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology, Nutrition, Cardiology, Social Work, and Public Health) to train 8 research scholars (4 pre- and 4 postdoctoral). Trainees will develop the translational research skills necessary to treat and prevent problems of weight and eating. Three exciting developments-the recent formation of the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (the result of an NIH Clinical &Translational Science Award), the creation of the Institute of Public Health, and the development of the Center for Obesity Prevention and Policy Research at Washington University-provide additional training resources to conduct this innovative, and much needed, training from """"""""bench to bedside and beyond."""""""" Obesity and related diseases are among the University's priority disease areas, and therefore a training program within this institution that focuses on the treatment and prevention of obesity is poised for success and is sure to launch the next generation of scientists prepared to design, implement, and evaluate multi-level solutions to this complex bio-behavioral health problem.
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